A new breed of university geared towards postgraduate research could make
Britain the “best place in the world to do science,” David Willetts has
claimed.

New institutions or campuses geared towards science and technology would boost research and help stimulate a hi-tech economy in Britain, the Science Minister said.

But funding for the facilities will have to be secured through partnerships through private and international channels because no additional public funding would be made available, he added.

Inviting proposals for new universities, partnerships or campuses, Mr Willetts pledged to remove any obstacles such as excessive red tape, through legislation if necessary, to ensure the best schemes go ahead.

In a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank, he said: “Local economic partnerships, universities, businesses and international partners can come together to put forward proposals for new institutions.

“The surge in international investment in science and technology would make this a key part of the mission of a new foundation.”

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Proposals could involve an existing university building a new campus or forming an international partnership, or businesses entering the education sector with different models.

For example, major cities could emulate a competition run by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg in which he invited plans from American and international partners for a new graduate school on Roosevelt Island, Mr Willetts said.

He added: “We already have a lot of interest and we want to move this to the next level. As proposals are developed we will be able to identify any specific obstacles that need to be removed including by legislation where necessary.

“I am confident that with ingenuity we can grow our research base and our universities even when times are tough.”

Sir John Beddington, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said: "I am delighted that in his speech David Willetts reaffirmed the importance of science, technology and innovation for generating growth now and for building future prosperity.”

Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said: "We should aim to be the best place in the world for science, but we're currently way behind nations such as Germany, Japan, and the US in terms of business and industry investment in research.

“Today David Willetts reiterated a whole series of positive measures the coalition is taking to incentivise more private sector investment – but no political party has yet outlined a clear alternative vision for the UK economy.”